The invention relates to a frame arrangement for a vehicle roof that has a roof opening that can be closed by a cover panel, which is slidably and/or swingably displaceable to at least partially uncover the roof opening, and which is supported by a frame perimetrically bounding the roof opening. In particular, to such an arrangement wherein at least one guide element is disposed at each side of the cover panel and along which the cover panel is longitudinally slidable on tracks provided on side parts of the frame by a respective actuating cable that is guided in a cable channel and connected to an actuating device.
From German Offenlegungsschrift No. 35 32 103 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,227 frame arrangements for a vehicle roof of the above-mentioned type are known. In these known arrangements, the frame is provided with grooves that form a part of the cable guide channels. Connected to the frame, over these grooves constructed in the frame, is a cover rail which closes the open sides of the grooves to form cable guide channels that are closed on all sides. This cover rail extends beyond the grooves in the frame to form laterally running tracks for the guide element or elements of the cover in conjunction with an appropriate guide surface that is constructed on the frame. With this configuration a covering rail is, thus, necessary, and only after its attachment to the frame can the operational movement mechanics for the movable cover panel be tested and, optionally, readjusted appropriately. Thus, operational testing is possible only after the final assembly of the sliding or sliding-tilting roof. Further, this additional part, the cover rail, is utilized, in each case, only on the side parts of the frame, so that a separate part is required for channeling the cables at the front side of the frame which, of course, further complicates assembly of the roof. Also, in the case of the arrangement of German Offenlegungsschrift No. 35 32 103, at the transitions between the laterally provided cover rails and the separate front part misalignment unavoidably occurs, even if usually slight, between the grooves provided in the frame for the guide channels of the actuating cable, so that, because of this circumstance, a stiffness of the actuation and sometimes an undesirable production of noise may result.
A vehicle roof is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,161 that has a frame consisting of plastic which, on the one hand, has sliding surfaces for the guide elements or guide shoes for the cover panel and, on the other hand, guide channels for the actuating cable. Here also, the grooves in the frame partially define the guide channels for the actuating cable and are covered by covers which, simultaneously, form, on the side parts of the frame, a sliding surface for the guide shoes. In this case, essentially the same or similar difficulties occur as in the above-mentioned arrangements.
From U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,912, a cable drive and guide for a sliding cover panel of a vehicle roof is known, wherein a sheet metal part is fastened to the frame as a covering that forms, in conjunction with a suitably constructed profile of the frame and another sheet metal part fastened to the frame, a guide channel or channels for the actuating cable, and tracks for the guide elements of a suitable extension of the cover panel. With this configuration, at least three interacting parts are, thus, needed for the formation of the tracks and the cable channels, by which the assembly is made more difficult and production becomes more expensive.
From German Auslegeschrift Nos. 16 80 066 and 20 46 996, sliding roof constructions are known for motor vehicles that have separate guide strips, and from the guide strips are formed closed cable guide channels for guide elements, such as guide shoes or the like. Here also, transition areas occur between the side parts of the guides and cable guide channels provided there and the cable guide channels provided correspondingly on the front side, which entail the above-mentioned difficulties.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,416, a vehicle roof is disclosed in which the guide channels with the incorporated actuating cables and the tracks with the incorporated guide elements are combined into an installation unit which can be preassembled and which is then set into a frame perimetrically bounding the roof opening. Since this installation unit contains all the operational parts of the sliding roof (except for the frame). the operational testing can take place right before installation. However, in this arrangement there are, again, transition areas from the side parts to the front side that are subject to potential misalignment problems and, on the other hand, the frame has only a supporting function, since the tracks and the cable guide channels are associated only with the installation unit. In this way a greater overall height results which, usually with regard to headroom in the interior of the passenger compartment of a vehicle, is undesirable.